The Mirror-World Menace
by Andrew1
Summary: Ash encounters a parallel universe with alternate versions of Jessie, James, and Meowth. But he's in for the surprise of his life when he has to battle his greatest enemy -- a mirror copy of himself! Can Ash defeat the all-powerful Red of Team Rocket?
1. Chapter 1

The Mirror-World Menace

THE MIRROR-WORLD MENACE

by A. Jeung

_Author's Note: This story fits in somewhere during the Johto journeys. _

Need a disclaimer? OK. Pokémon; and its characters are copyrighted by Nintendo/Game Freak/Creatures Inc. and are used here without permission. The author is making no profit from this fanfiction.

CHAPTER 1

"In a system of infinite universes, every variant of existence is realized."  
_- Professor Maple, Professor of Metacosmology, Celadon University_

_Over the vast expanses of multi-dimensional space there exist a multitude of worlds. All are similar and yet each is different from all of the others in its own unique way. Some worlds have Pokémon; unlike anything we have ever seen or imagined. Some, amazingly, have no Pokémon; at all. Still others are almost identical to ours except in some small, minor respects. And despite their differences - or perhaps because of them -- each and every world has its own story to tell._

*

"Ekans, look out!!" The words echoed throughout the surrounding mountain pass.

The warning came just a little late. The wild Lickitung's long tongue lashed out, leaving its sticky, paralytic saliva all over the Ekans' face. The big snake stiffened up and staggered briefly, but somehow managed to remain standing.

"That's it!" cried Jecy, still hopeful. "Let's see now ... umm ... okay, use, umm, use Poison Sting!"

Ekans glanced at its stammering master expectantly, waiting until the complete command was given. Then it opened its jaws, and dozens of the tiny toxic darts came shooting out of its mouth. Most of the flying stingers missed their target, but two or three managed to implant themselves in the Lickitung's tongue. The pink creature stumbled, then fell forward onto the rocky terrain.

"Pokéball;, GO!!" Jecy's voice rang out as she tossed her ball.

The half-red, half-white plastic ball sailed through the air, finally reaching the weakened Lickitung that was its target. The ball struck the odd creature, opened, and bathed the Pokémon; in a warm, red glow before absorbing it inside.

Jecy ran up to her pokéball; and stared at it, holding her breath in anticipation as the ball beeped and shook. One beep, two beeps, three ... Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the ball lay still.

Jecy squealed in delight at the top of her lungs, "I did it! I captured a LICKITUNG!" Her long, red hair, reaching out far behind her back in an odd but graceful curl, waved about wildly as she jumped for joy. Her blue eyes sparkled brightly in the bright mountain sunshine.

"That was great, Jecy. Your first capture!" exclaimed her friend Jaymz in his accented voice. He brushed a wayward strand of blue-tinted hair out of the way of his green eyes as he ran up to her.

Jecy grinned at her friend, then glanced proudly at her Ekans, exhausted and bruised from its battle with the Lickitung. It had been a couple of months since she had gone to Professor Oak to get Ekans, but she could remember the event as if it were yesterday.

*

Jecy and Jaymz were fidgeting nervously in the Oak laboratory as they waited for their first Pokémon.;

They had met just a couple of weeks back, at the admissions examination for Pokémon; Tech. They had both scored very high on the exam, but unfortunately scholarships for the school were in short supply that year, and neither of them could afford the tuition without one. They had been quite disappointed by the news, but they had resolved instead to go and become Pokémon; trainers the old-fashioned way, by traveling around and collecting badges. So they had come together to Pallet Town, the starting point for all Pokémon; trainers in their section of Kanto.

They were an unassuming pair, unpretentious even in their choice of clothing. Jaymz was dressed in a tan colored shirt with a brown jacket and gray pants. Jecy was dressed in similarly modest attire, with an off-white shirt and long gray pants, and no jewelry except for a pair of tiny, round, green earrings. About her only concession to flamboyance was a pair of black, knee high boots that she really liked and wore everywhere.

Jaymz fiddled with a red rose that he always carried around with him while they waited. At long last, Professor Oak came out, a somber look on his wrinkled face.

"I'm very sorry to have to give you this news," the professor declared, "but I contacted all the breeding centers in the area and there are no starting Pokémon; to give you."

"What?!" cried Jaymz incredulously, as Jecy sat in surprised shock.

"I'm very sorry about this," Professor Oak said. "As you know, Team Rocket has been making ever more daring thefts of Pokémon; in the last year."

The two prospective trainers nodded solemnly. It seemed as if lately, the newspapers had another article every week about the infamous crime syndicate and its daring series of thefts. It was rumored that the organization had been bolstered by two new top agents who went only by the code names Red and Blue. 

Professor Oak continued. "The breeding centers have had so many incursions that there just aren't enough starter Pokémon; to go around. I'm afraid that there's simply nothing for me to give you. Please accept my apologies."

"This can't be!" exclaimed Jaymz, standing up. "There must be some Pokémon; you can let us have, anything, it doesn't even have to be a proper starter!" Jecy stood up also, facing the professor with a pleading look in her blue eyes.

"Well," Professor Oak said slowly, "there might be something." He turned and opened a cabinet in the back of the room and took out two plastic pokéballs.; "I bred these two myself," he explained. "I meant to keep them for my own studies, but earnest young trainers such as yourselves deserve to have a Pokémon; to start. Mind you, however, these are not what I would normally recommend for beginning trainers and you will have an uphill battle to get started."

Jecy took the ball nearest to her and tossed it. The ball cracked open, light spilling out of it as the creature stored inside materialized.

Jecy had seen an Ekans before. There had been one in a glass case in her classroom back in elementary school. The students took turns feeding it, and by time she graduated it had grown over five feet long. This one was barely half that length, and looked hardly threatening at all as it hissed at her harmlessly.

Jaymz took the other pokéball; and tossed it also. It opened, and a rough dark-purplish ball with eyes and a mouth appeared in a blaze of light.

"Koffing," it said.

Jaymz had never seen a Koffing before. Green eyes blinking in wonder, he stared at the balloon Pokémon; as it floated before him and puffed out the occasional cloud of toxic fumes.

The two trainers turned back to the professor.

"They're perfect," they exclaimed together, gratefully. "We'll take them. Thank you, Professor."

*

And now, just two months later, the snake stood an impressive four feet tall as it hissed and panted, trying to catch its breath.

"That was great, Jecy," said Meowth, a big grin on his cat face, "but your Ekans over there is saying that it'd like to rest in its pokéball; now."

The two friends turned to look at their newest companion, a talking Meowth. They had discovered the unique but impoverished feline, begging for scraps of food in an alleyway in Viridian City, about a month ago. They had asked him to come along with them, and he had enthusiastically accepted. He turned out to be an extremely useful companion as he could translate between human language and that of the Pokémon.; More than that, he had a kind heart and was a good friend to the two of them.

"Of course," Jecy replied. "Thanks for telling me, Meowth." She took out a second ball and pointed it at her Ekans. "Good job, Ekans," she praised, "you battled very well. Return!" The snake hissed a sigh of relief, its coils visibly relaxing as it was bathed in the red glow before being sucked into its ball. 

Jecy bent over and picked up the pokéball; containing the Lickitung. She admired it for a moment before collapsing it to miniature size and putting it away in her pocket. She started to turn back to Jaymz when she heard a slow, rhythmic clapping behind them. They turned to look at the source.

The boy himself didn't look that intimidating. He was not that tall, with faded blue jeans, a black shirt, and a blue jacket with short white sleeves. A pair of green half-gloves covered his hands, which continued their rhythmic clapping in mock applause. A bit of unruly jet-black hair poked out from underneath a faded red and white baseball cap. Next to him, a Pikachu crouched on all fours and glared at them defiantly.

It was the symbol on the boy's cap that gave away his identity, the symbol that Jaymz and Jecy had seen countless times in the news and had hoped desperately never to encounter in person. On the cap was prominently emblazoned a blood-red capital letter "R".

"Guys," Meowth whispered in fear, "it's a Team Rocket agent." The two trainers nodded grimly.

It was Jecy who gathered up the courage to speak first. "You, there," she declared, trying hard to sound indignant and not scared, "what do you think you're doing here? Have you come to steal my Lickitung? I just captured it, you know..." Her voice trailed off. She knew she didn't sound as threatening as she had hoped, and she was unsure how to continue.

The boy laughed in derision. "My mission is to acquire Pokémon; that are rare and unique," he told them, "and your Lickitung is neither." He turned to the cowering cat between them. "Your talking Meowth, however, is another story."

Meowth gave an involuntary gasp as Jaymz finally broke his silence. "Meowth? But ... you can't! We ... we won't let you have him!"

The boy laughed again. "YOU won't let me? I've heard that said to me a thousand times before, trainer." His smile disappeared abruptly as he focused his gaze directly on Jaymz. "And every last person who said it lived to regret it. But since you dare defy me, prepare to feel the power ... of RED!!"

Meowth hung his head. It was hopeless. Red was reportedly Team Rocket's top agent. He had carried out innumerable thefts and had defeated an uncountable number of Pokémon; trainers and Officer Jennies alike. He was possibly the greatest Pokémon; trainer who had ever lived. Jecy and Jaymz had no chance against him.

Although terrified, Jaymz was not willing to give up so easily. Knowing that Jecy's two Pokémon; were still weak from their previous battle, he took out his own pokéball;, and, with trembling hands, tossed it out at the Team Rocket agent. "P-p-p-pokéball;, go!" he stuttered.

The red and white ball opened, and Jaymz's Koffing popped out.

At seeing the poison-type Pokémon;, Red burst out laughing again, and the Pikachu next to him started chuckling too. "THAT'S what you're going to challenge me with?" Red asked incredulously. He thought for a moment, and brought out his own ball. "I was going to use a more experienced Pokémon;," he remarked, "but since that's all you have, I think I'll use my newest acquisition instead and give it a chance to gain some battle experience. I had to send my Snorlax back to headquarters in order to be able to carry this one, but I think it'll be worth it in time." He tossed the pokéball;, calling out, "I choose you ... Onix!"

The Onix was pretty small, as Onixes go. It was barely ten feet tall, and its rocky skin was a very light shade of gray, giving it a fresh appearance. It cried out with a high-pitched, sandy voice.

Meowth turned to listen to the rock creature's cries. "Where did you get this thing?" he asked, almost indignant despite his fear. "It's calling for its mother ... why, it's only a baby!"

Red nodded in confirmation. "I stole it from its nest two days ago," he declared proudly. "The mother never even knew I was there.

"Now if we're done with the formal introductions," he continued, "it's time for me to take your Meowth from you. Onix, Tackle attack!"

The rock serpent lunged forward with surprising speed, and Jaymz, now scared almost witless, was barely able to stammer out, "Koffing! Poison gas ... no, I ... I mean Smog attack!"

Billowing clouds of black, dirty fumes started spewing out of the toxic Pokémon;'s mouth, quickly filling up the entire air space around the battle as they enveloped the Onix completely. Unaffected by the smoke, the rock Pokémon; burst right through the noxious gasses, striking the Koffing squarely in the middle of its purple body. Koffing fell to the ground, hard, its dazed eyes a clear indication that it was unable to go on.

Jaymz recalled Koffing to its pokéball; as Red remarked with disdain, "I guess you know now that poison attacks don't work very well on rock-type Pokémon.; Do you have anything else, or shall I take the Meowth now?"

Jaymz tossed out his second and final pokéball.; This seemed even less likely to win than his Koffing, but for his friend Meowth he had to try.

The flash of light from Jaymz's second pokéball; faded, revealing a Bellsprout. It swayed and wavered uneasily in the cool mountain air. Upon seeing it, the Pikachu laughed harder than ever and, unable to control itself, fell over and started rolling on the ground.

The Pikachu's laughter was cut off abruptly as its master glared at it. Red turned his attention from the yellow electric mouse back to the battle at hand. "Onix," he commanded, "Bind attack!"

The Onix swiftly encircled the tiny plant creature and caught it between its stony scales. The Bellsprout wiggled helplessly as it was slowly, inexorably being crushed by its opponent's body. "Bellsprout!" it called out, as if asking for help.

"Don't give up," called out Jaymz. "Use ... um ... use Vine Whip!"

Two slender vines came wriggling out of the Onix's grasp and desperately started hitting the rock creature's face.

The Onix cried out in pain, and was about to let its captive loose when Red screamed out at it, "Did I TELL you it was alright to let go? Keep it up, you worthless Pokémon;!"

The rock serpent continued crying as it was struck, but the vines eventually got weaker and weaker as the Bellsprout slowly lost consciousness. Finally, they lay still.

As the plant Pokémon; dropped to the ground, Red looked at his Onix threateningly. "You're going to need a lot more training before we take on any real opponents, I can see that right now," he declared angrily. Red turned back to Jaymz and Jecy, both stunned into inaction at their rapid defeat. "And now," Red continued, "I'm going to do you the favor of not letting you go on with this. I know that the girl will just send out her own two measly Pokémon;, which are already weak from fighting each other, to be beaten as well, and so I'm going to save everyone the trouble and just take the Meowth now. Pikachu, Thunderwave!"

Red's Pikachu charged up briefly, then let out a tremendous electric barrage on the two trainers. It was unlike anything they had ever experienced. For a moment, Jecy and Jaymz became painfully immobilized as the crackling electricity locked up every muscle in their bodies. Finally, the attack ended, and the two humans and one Meowth found themselves sprawled out on the rocky terrain, unable to move.

"I ... can't ... get ... at ... my ... pokéballs;," Jecy groaned through gritted teeth.

"Of course not," said Red. "Onix, take the Meowth now." The rock Pokémon; bent down slowly, grabbed the now paralyzed Meowth by the scruff of his neck in its stony mouth, and turned to follow its master. Jecy and Jaymz could only watch helplessly as the Team Rocket agent departed, laughing, taking with him their feline companion and friend.


	2. Chapter 2

The Mirror-World Menace

CHAPTER 2

Once the electricity-induced paralysis had passed, Jaymz and Jecy immediately went to find Officer Jenny. She was running a very small police station in the mountains. Jenny listened to their story carefully and took the details down in her notepad

"I have to be honest with you two," Officer Jenny admitted. "There's very little chance we'll be able to recover your Meowth for you."

"Why not?!" cried Jecy. "Don't you believe that we really saw Red?" 

Officer Jenny smiled sympathetically. "I do believe you," she said. "There have been reports that Red has been spotted in this area. And believe me, I would love to be able to get him. He's the most wanted criminal in all of Kanto. But the truth is that there's very little chance that we would be able to stop him. Red's Pokémon; are too formidable opponents, and the police force has never been able to capture him. I wish I could give you more hopeful news."

Jecy and Jaymz dejectedly thanked Officer Jenny as they left the police station, and, with little hope of finding their friend, they set up camp for the night as they tried to decide what to do next. They stared gloomily at their campfire as it cast long, flicking shadows over the walls of the mountain pass.

"Maybe we should just go back home," Jaymz suggested, warming his hands in front of the fire. It was nearing autumn, and the mountains were already quite chilly at night.

"Go back? How can we?" Jecy responded in frustration. "Every time I close my eyes, I keep seeing Meowth, carried off by that monster, while we just sat there unable to move! How can we abandon him like this?"

"But what can we do?" asked Jaymz helplessly, green eyes blinking. "Even if we could find Red again, what hope do we have of getting Meowth back? He defeated us so easily."

"I know." Jecy was as despondent as her companion. "I just wish there was someone out there who could help us."

"Help _us_?" Jaymz replied. "I don't think anyone can. Not even Officer Jenny can, apparently. You saw how powerful Red's Pokémon; are. Who in this whole universe would be crazy enough to challenge him?"

*

"You're crazy, Ash Ketchum!"

"I am not!!" Ash shot back, shivering between spluttering coughs. He was clutching a Staryu tightly to his chest as water dripped from his drenched clothing onto the warm grass.

"You could have got yourself killed!!" Misty was practically yelling as she glared furiously at the boy, her turquoise eyes flashing angrily. She could have quite a temper sometimes.

Pikachu nodded his head and shouted accusingly, "Pi - ka!" in agreement with Misty.

"Admit it, Ash," Brock said, "jumping into a river to try to capture a submerged Pokémon; is not a good idea."

"But it was a wild Dragonair," Ash protested. "How often do you see one of those?"

"That's not a good reason to go diving into water without any idea how strong the current is!" Misty rebuked. 

"Especially considering that you didn't even _catch_ the Dragonair," Brock observed, much to Ash's annoyance.

"You would have drowned if I hadn't sent Staryu to save you!" Misty pulled a pokéball; out of her pocket and pointed it at her Pokémon.; The metal ball looked dazzlingly bright as it reflected the mid-morning sun. "Staryu, return!" Misty called. Her Staryu safely recalled, she walked away furiously without another word. Togepi, oblivious as always, chirped merrily as it followed her. Ash decided against pursuing the argument any further.

Ash relaxed. It was a hot day, and he was already starting to dry off. "Any sign of my empty pokéball;?" he asked Brock.

Brock shook his head. "You probably let go of it while you were busy drowning," he replied.

Ash sighed. That had been his last free pokéball;, now wasted without a capture. They probably wouldn't have a chance to get any more for at least a week. **That** meant he would miss out on any other potential captures between now and then. This was definitely going to be one of those days.

*

_There are celestial-type Pokémon; who traverse the alternate realities as easily as you or I would tread from one stepping-stone in a stream to another. They have no names, not as humans would understand them, for no human has ever seen one nor heard one speak. They delight in traveling from one world to another, observing with wonder the myriad variations in reality and endless possibilities of existence._

One of these celestial Pokémon; was flitting between two alternate worlds. It marveled at the similarities between them. They contained identical Pokémon; species, and there were similar people and places in each of them. It appeared that there was only the slightest divergence between them, resulting in people and Pokémon; being put in different roles and situations.

The Pokémon; started off on its way to other parts of the cosmos when it accidentally passed too close to the barrier between worlds. Unable to correct its trajectory in time, it brushed against the barrier, creating a tiny rift between the two realities. The rift was like a tunnel, connecting a location in one universe to a place in the other.

The Pokémon; paused. It was the belief of his species that such rifts were no accident, but a kind of providence, bringing good fortune to the inhabitants of the worlds connected. It waited patiently to see what would result from the presence of the rift it had created.

*

Misty was still fuming as she walked.

She'd had it with him. As long as she had known him, Ash seemed to have made a habit of performing one impetuous act after another, risking his life over and over without considering the consequences. And she was tired of worrying about him.

"Why can't he think things over before he rushes into them?" she asked Togepi, more out of frustration than in expectation of a response.

"To - ge - to - ge - brrrrrrrriiiii!" the egg Pokémon; responded happily.

She sat in the warm grass and started to pet her little Pokémon; when something bright caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She looked up at it.

It was a shimmering light, suspended mysteriously in the middle of the air. As she stared at it, it seemed to change and grow, opening up like a hole in the middle of the air above her head.

She glanced back at the river where her friends were. Ash and Brock were only about forty yards away. She looked back at the hole. In just a few seconds, it had already grown to about a foot across. Misty decided to go tell the others about this. She grabbed Togepi and hurried back to them.

Ash was busy wringing out his socks when Misty returned. He wasn't expecting to see her back so soon after their argument, and looked up at her quizzically.

Immediately he noticed the perplexed expression on her face. "What's wrong, Misty?" he started to ask.

"Guys," she said, "what's that over there?"

They looked, and their eyes opened wide.

Now about twenty feet across, the hole hung vertically, suspended mysteriously a few feet off the ground. Through it, they could see cragged, rocky terrain, the kind one would expect see in the mountains. A second sun, just starting to rise over the mountain horizon, shone its light through the hole and into their eyes. The barren landscape seen through the hole contrasted sharply with the warm grassy fields surrounding them all.

Two human figures were on the rocky landscape. One, a woman, had green earrings and long red hair that curved strangely behind her back, while the other, a man, had green eyes and hair with an oddly bluish tint. Even though they were dressed normally and not in Team Rocket uniforms, Ash recognized them at once. They were **obviously** Jessie and James.

Jecy and Jaymz had been packing up to break camp when the hole appeared before them. Through it, they could see a grassy field with three people. The one closest to them was a boy with a black shirt and blue jeans. A sopping wet, faded red and white cap sat on the ground nearby on top of a blue and white jacket, while a Pikachu reclined in the grass next to him. They knew immediately who it was. _Red, again!_ thought Jecy. _How could we run into him again so soon?_

Ash, Misty, and Brock pointed through the hole at Jecy and Jaymz, while simultaneously Jecy and Jaymz pointed at Ash.

"TEAM ROCKET!!" everyone shouted accusingly at once.

"Look," said Jecy, trying hard to ignore the frantic beating of her heart, "you already took our Meowth from us. You already said we had nothing else you wanted, so please just leave us alone!"

Ash, Misty, and Brock looked at each other with puzzled expressions on their faces.

"Us, take Meowth?" Ash asked Brock in bewilderment. "What are they talking about? Is this some kind of trick?" 

Brock shrugged his shoulders; he had no idea. 

Ash turned back to the pair on the other side of the hole. "I don't know what you're trying to pull, but you're not getting Pikachu!"

"_Get_ him?!" Jaymz exclaimed. "Why, we want nothing to do with him! If I never receive a shock like that again it'll be too soon!"

"Something's not adding up here," Brock observed to his two companions. "Team Rocket would never act like this. They always say the Team Rocket motto, and they've never been afraid to try to get Pikachu. Besides, I've never seen them dressed in something so conservative and modest."

Ash and Misty had to agree. As far as they had seen, Jessie and James got out of their Team Rocket uniforms only to wear something even more outrageous and, in the case of James, usually involving cross-dressing.

"That's true," Ash admitted. "Maybe they're not who they seem to be after all." He turned back to Jecy and Jaymz. "Hey you two!" he called out. "I don't know who you think we are, but we didn't take your Meowth, honest!"

Jecy and Jaymz looked at each other, puzzled. "Aren't you Red of Team Rocket?" Jecy asked, timidly.

"Me?!" Ash asked incredulously. "I'm not a Team Rocket agent! My name is Ash Ketchum, and I'm from Pallet Town. These are my friends, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu!"

"Pi - ka!" Pikachu called out, in a display of friendship.

Jecy was still suspicious. "Show me your hat," she called out.

Puzzled, Ash looked at his companions for a moment, then bent down to pick up his red and white cap, the Pokémon; League symbol prominently on its front, and put it on his head. 

Jaymz and Jecy stared for a moment, then breathed a sigh of relief. Jaymz finally spoke. "I'm Jaymz," he said, extending his hand and climbing through the hole to Ash's side. "My friend's name is Jecy. And we're both really glad that you're not who we thought you were."

*

"And then he just left, with our Meowth in the jaws of his Onix," Jaymz said, as he stared down at the red rose in his lap. "We were paralyzed and couldn't do anything."

They were all gathered together on the grassy plain. The afternoon had turned out to be quite hot, and they had all gathered under the shade of a tree, a few hundred yards from the river. They were all listening intently while Jaymz recounted the battle with Red.

Ash piped up suddenly. "I don't get it," he said. "You two are telling us a story about a person who looks like me, only you two look like people whom we already know and who have a talking Meowth also! What's going on here?"

"This kind of reminds me of a science fiction show I used to watch on television as a kid," Brock said. "It was set in the future, and there were people who flew around in a big spaceship, and the first officer was a Jynx. Anyway, in one episode, the characters visited a parallel universe."

"Parallel universe? What's that?" Misty inquired.

"That's a world that's kind of like a copy of ours," Brock replied. "In a parallel world, everything that's in our world is also there, but maybe a little bit different from the way that we know it. So if that hole we saw earlier was somehow a tunnel to a parallel universe, that other universe would have a different Jessie and a different James," he continued, pointing to their two new companions as he spoke. "And it would have another Ash as well."

"Another Ash ... oh, that's who you think Red is!" Jaymz exclaimed. Brock nodded.

Misty smiled. "It's hard to imagine Ash as a sinister Team Rocket agent," she declared.

Jaymz continued with the story. "Anyway, we went to see Officer Jenny, and she basically said that she couldn't help, and so we were left with no way to get our friend Meowth back."

"Just a minute," Brock interrupted. "Do you mean to say," he said, getting more and more excited with every word, "that there's a WHOLE PARALLEL UNIVERSE FULL OF OFFICER JENNIES TO MEET?!!"

Misty sighed in resigned frustration.

Jecy seemed not even to hear him as she stared off into the distance. "Poor Meowth," she said sadly. "I hope he's alright. If we weren't such poor trainers, maybe we could have saved him."

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourselves," Misty told them. "It sounds like Red is a very experienced Pokémon; trainer. I'm sure you did everything you could."

"Thanks, Misty," Jaymz replied. "But Jecy has a point. When it comes to Pokémon; battling, we both have a long way to go."

Jecy nodded in agreement. "As we mentioned, we originally planned to go to Pokémon; Tech. Being league trainers and earning badges has really been a struggle for us. We're both very hesitant during a Pokémon; battle. We're unsure about what orders to give our Pokémon;, and often change our minds in the middle of giving a command."

"It's really important to show confidence during a Pokémon; battle," Brock told them.

"That's right!" Ash added enthusiastically. "When Pikachu and I go into a Pokémon; battle, we're always confident! Isn't that right, buddy?"

"Pi - ka!" Pikachu shouted in affirmation.

"Sometimes too confident," Misty suggested, ignoring Ash's dirty look.

"The important thing," Brock said, "is that you have faith in yourself. That's the best thing you can do for yourself and for your Pokémon.;"

"We'll try to remember that," Jaymz replied.

The sun was starting to set, so the group decided to set up camp together by the river for the night. They set out from the tree towards the rushing water. Ash and Pikachu led the way, followed by Brock and Jaymz, while Jecy and Misty, Togepi in her arms, took the rear.

Brock and Jaymz were having a rather boisterous conversation, mostly consisting of Brock recounting episodes of the science fiction show he used to watch. Jaymz laughed as Brock told him about an episode in which the captain left the Jynx in command of the spaceship.

Their noisy banter gave Misty and Jecy a chance to have a private conversation of their own, unheard by the others. They had gotten to be really good friends in just a few hours. Misty really liked being with the guys, of course, but sometimes she missed having a female companion to talk to. And she found she had more in common with Jecy, a fellow Pokémon; trainer, than with her own pretentious, self-absorbed sisters back home in Cerulean City.

"How long have you and Jaymz been traveling together?" Misty inquired.

"About two months now," Jecy replied. "It seems like longer, though. We've been through so much together already. How about you? How long have you been with Ash and Brock?"

Misty thought for a moment. "I guess I've been traveling with Ash about two years now," she said. "Brock was with us for a while, and then he left for a while and then came back."

"You've been following Ash on his league expeditions for two _years_?"

Misty nodded.

"All I have to say is that he must be a really great Pokémon; trainer for you to have stuck with him so long," Jecy declared.

"Hardly," Misty retorted indignantly. "Ash is far from being a 'great' trainer. I mean, he never thinks about anything before he acts. He's always rushing into danger, without considering the consequences or planning ahead. Just this morning I had to save him from drowning because he jumped into the river over there trying to catch a Dragonair!" Misty was starting to get angry again just thinking about the earlier mishap.

"Really?" Jecy asked, giggling. "No wonder he was so bedraggled when I first saw him."

They were coming close to the inter-dimensional rift now. It was nearing sunset in this world, but the time of day in the other world was a few hours earlier, and the large mountain boulders visible through the rift gleamed brightly in the other world's midday sun. The brilliant view of the other universe made a sharp contrast with the reddish hues of the sky above them as the local sun started to disappear over the horizon.

Although they had seen it before, the sight of the extraordinary rift was still completely entrancing. So much so, in fact, that Brock and Jaymz completely failed to notice that Ash and Pikachu had suddenly disappeared in front of them. 

Likewise, Jecy and Misty were totally unaware when Brock and Jaymz vanished in turn. Jecy screamed as she and Misty tumbled down the large hole in the ground that the others had already fallen into.

Ash groaned. He had been the first to fall in and therefore was underneath everyone else, with one of Jecy's sharp heels poking him in the ribs. His first thought was that they had fallen through another inter-dimensional rift, but as his vision slowly cleared, he realized that they were simply at the bottom of an ordinary, albeit deep, hole in the ground. He raised his head just in time to see a pair of long, rubber-tipped tongs come down from above. As Ash gasped in surprise, the tongs plucked Pikachu out of his grasp and quickly lifted the electric Pokémon; up out of the hole. Ash shook his head to clear it, and then looked up. At the top of the hole was a Meowth, who was wielding the tongs while two humans in Team Rocket uniforms peered over the edge and laughed triumphantly.

"Not again ..." Ash groaned weakly.


	3. Chapter 3

The Mirror-World Menace

CHAPTER 3

"_Prepare for trouble!_" called out Jessie.

"_And make it double!_" rejoined James, holding his trademark red rose.

"_To protect the world from devastation!_"

"_To unite all peoples within our nation!_"

"_To denounce the evils of truth and love!_"

"_To extend our reach to the stars above!_"

"_Jessie!_"

"_James!_"

"_Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!_"

"_Surrender now, or prepare to fight fight fight!_"

"_Meowth, dat's right!_" Meowth finished the motto triumphantly.

Ash was amazed. He hadn't realized until now really how close the resemblance was between his new friends from the parallel universe and the old Team Rocket members with whom he was already familiar. Jecy and Jessie had the same color and style of hair, the same facial appearance, the same build, even the same boots. Jaymz and James had identical eye and hair color and the same build, and both liked to carry a red rose. Except for the clothing, Jessie and James looked as if they were reciting their motto to a mirror reflection of themselves.

Meanwhile, Jecy watched the entire Team Rocket motto with an expression halfway between horror and fascination. When it was all done, she turned to Jaymz.

"They look like us," she said to her companion, "but they sound so ... _stupid_!" 

Jaymz nodded in agreement.

"How **dare** you insult the Team Rocket motto!" an offended Jessie shouted. "And who are you two new twerps?"

Meowth finished stuffing a still surprised Pikachu into a glass jar, carefully sealing it with an electrically insulating lid. He peered down into the hole and took a careful look at Jecy and Jaymz. "Look at 'em, Jess," Meowth said, eyes wide in surprise. "Dey look just like you two!"

James took a good look. "Meowth has a point," he admitted. "There is a certain resemblance."

Jessie examined them carefully as well. "Perhaps," she declared, nose in the air, "but the girl lacks some the more unique facets of my delicate beauty."

"We're your counterparts from a parallel universe," Jecy called out to them. "We even had a talking Meowth like yours, although he's not with us now."

Jessie looked skeptical. "A parallel universe? Well, I don't care who you are, all I know is that I'm getting the twerp's Pikachu!"

"Wob - buffet!" called out the Wobbuffet, suddenly materializing in front of them and nearly falling in the hole.

"You won't get away with this," called out Ash, finally on his feet. "Pikachu, Thundershock!"

From within the glass jar, the yellow rodent charged up, then released an electric assault. The powerful electricity sprayed harmlessly along the inside walls of the jar. Not even the tiniest charge escaped through the glass.

Jessie announced, laughingly, "Nice try, but we've got your Pikachu safely stored in this insulating jar."

"And just wait until you see our newest surprise!" said James, gleefully.

Meowth grabbed a remote control and started pressing buttons while Jessie and James pushed a large metal contraption up to the edge of the hole. It had a large U-shaped metal piece, with a confusing tangle of wires and circuitry attached in various places all over the curved part of the piece. They tilted the device slightly so that the ends of the U pointed into the hole.

Ash was not about to let these three get away with this. He pulled out his Lure Ball. "I choose you ... Totodile!"

He threw out the metallic ball, but instead of falling to the ground and opening, the ball unexpectedly reversed course and flew straight up, heading right for the odd metal contraption that Team Rocket had pushed to the hole's edge. There was a loud clang as the Lure Ball sailed right to the ends of the large metal U and stuck there, unopened.

Jessie and James laughed again.

"You won't be releasing any of your Pokémon; on us. Not as long as we have this," declared James, pointing to the strange device.

"It's da Magneton 2000," announced Meowth proudly. "Da most powerful commercially available electromagnet in the woild."

"That's right," Jessie added. "Not only will it attract any pokéballs; you let loose, but it will magnetically seal them shut so that they won't open." She turned to her teammates and remarked, "The twerp's Totodile should make a nice addition to this Pikachu that we'll give to the Boss."

Ash looked helplessly at Brock and Misty. Neither of them had any ideas.

Jaymz had been listening to the whole exchange in silence. Then he turned to the others. "Wait a minute," he whispered. "Are you trying to tell me that in this universe, you people use metal pokéballs;?"

And he and Jecy pulled out their own pokéballs.; Ash's eyes opened wide as he realized that they were made completely out of plastic.

Brock smiled. "It's up to you guys now," he told them. "Just remember to have faith in yourselves."

Jecy and Jaymz nodded, and then with fierce looks of determination, they threw their pokéballs; simultaneously. Unaffected by the magnet, the plastic balls opened on cue, and in a flash of light, Ekans and Koffing materialized, ready for battle. The two Pokémon; leapt out of the hole to face a very surprised Jessie and James.

"How did ... ? Oh, never mind," muttered Jessie, as she threw out a pokéball; of her own. "Go Arbok!" she called out. James tossed the pokéball; containing Weezing at the same time. Jessie was quite confident. How could she and James lose against less evolved Pokémon; of the same species?

The pokéballs; belonging to Jessie and James flew towards the ground, then changed their direction abruptly and headed for the magnet. The two Team Rocket members stared in shock as their balls, now locked shut, attached themselves firmly to the magnet poles next to Ash's Lure Ball.

Jessie turned angrily to Meowth. "You didn't tell me that this thing would attract our pokéballs; too," she accused.

"I told ya it was powerful," Meowth protested.

"Don't worry," reassured James. "I've still got Victreebel." He carefully threw his pokéball; behind them, away from the magnet so that it wouldn't be attracted. The giant plant materialized and, as usual, immediately grabbed James' head and pulled him into its bulbous body. "NOT ME!!" James yelled out. "Get them!!"

Victreebel turned around and came face to face with Koffing.

"Koffing, Smokescreen!" Jaymz called out from within the hole. There was no longer the slightest hesitation in his voice. Jet-black fumes instantly filled the area. 

"Razor Leaf!" came the command from James. Victreebel was now blinded by thick smoke, and its leafy projectiles missed their target completely.

Jaymz started grinning. He **could** command his Pokémon; well after all! "Okay," he yelled gleefully, "now a Tackle attack!"

The poison Pokémon; roared through its own smoke cloud, smacking Victreebel squarely on the back. The giant plant tottered, and then fell to the ground unconscious.

Jecy was having a little more difficulty with her battle. "Use Bite!" she called out to her Ekans. The large snake detached its jaw to open it as wide as possible and went straight for Jessie's Wobbuffet.

But Jessie was prepared. "Counter attack!" she ordered. The patient Pokémon; glowed an eerie shade of blue as Ekans hurtled towards it. Unable to penetrate the Wobbuffet's powerful defensive screen, the giant serpent bounced off of it harmlessly. Ekans was dazed, but managed to stay upright.

"Forget about the Wobbuffet," Brock advised. "It can't attack you if you don't attack it. Get that magnet remote instead."

Jecy nodded in acknowledgement. She shouted to her Ekans, "Use Leer on the Meowth!"

The snake Pokémon; turned towards Meowth, its eyes glowing a sinister-looking red as it stared straight into its victim's eyes. The talking cat became slack-jawed as he was temporarily transfixed under the giant snake's gaze. Ekans took advantage of the momentary distraction to grab the remote with its powerful jaws, crushing it in one bite.

The panel lights on the Magneton 2000 went dim as its control signal was suddenly lost. The three magnetized balls, now freed, fell back down to the bottom of the hole. As the three balls reached bottom, they burst open, and Arbok and Weezing suddenly found themselves facing a prancing and bouncing Totodile.

"Totodile, Water Gun!" Ash commanded.

The tiny crocodile opened its mouth and shot out a powerful torrent of water at the two hapless Pokémon.; The water pressure lifted them out of the hole and several yards in the air. They fell, landing right on top of a confused Jessie and James.

Jecy called out, "Ekans, get Pikachu out of that glass jar!" The big serpent shot a single poison stinger out of its mouth right at Pikachu's glass prison. The tiny dart shattered the glass, freeing the joyful electric mouse.

"Pi - ka - pi - ka - pi - ka - chu," Pikachu said, as he gave some directions to Ekans and Koffing. The two Pokémon; nodded, then made their way back into the large hole where the others were.

Pikachu turned to the electromagnet. Charged up to full capacity, he brought his full electric force down on the Magneton 2000, then jumped into the hole for cover.

Now supercharged with electric energy, the overloaded electromagnet shot sparks and small pieces of metal everywhere. James screamed in fear as Jessie tried to crawl out from underneath Arbok to reach the power switch in time. She had not quite managed to reach the switch when the magnet blew up.

The force of the Magneton 2000's explosion shot the Team Rocket members and their Pokémon; into the air. They reflected on their plight as they made their all too familiar flight towards the stratosphere.

"We've reached a new low," Jessie commented mournfully.

"Yeah," agreed James sadly. "We can't even beat ourselves."

"And their side didn't even have a me," Meowth commented despondently.

"LOOKS LIKE TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAINNNNNNnnnnnnnnn ..." they called out, before vanishing in a sparkle in the distance.

"We did it!" shouted Jecy and Jaymz triumphantly.

After they all climbed out of the hole, Jecy turned to Ash, Misty, and Brock gratefully. "We can't thank you three enough for your help. Your belief in us has made us more confident trainers."

"Yes," Jaymz agreed, a big grin on his face. "I almost feel that we could take on Red himself!"

"Let's all take him on," Ash said. 

Everyone looked at him.

"We've got to save their Meowth," Ash continued. "We don't know what Red will do to him otherwise. And we owe them for helping us beat Team Rocket just now. I say we go find Red and help Jecy and Jaymz get their Meowth back."

Brock and Misty looked at each other, forming some sort of unspoken consensus between them. Then they turned back to Ash.

"Let's go," Brock said.


	4. Chapter 4

The Mirror-World Menace

CHAPTER 4

The sun was just rising as the five intrepid humans, one Pikachu, and one Togepi crossed the inter-dimensional rift into the mountain terrain of Jecy's and Jaymz's universe.

Misty wrapped her arms around herself and suppressed a shiver. Although they were still a few thousand feet below the snow line, this area of the mountains was considerably chillier than the summery plains they had left behind in the other universe. She pulled out a jacket and put it on, grateful to have had it in her backpack. She always made sure she had some warm clothing packed, ever since the time that Ash had led her and Brock up a mountain during a blizzard and they had all nearly frozen to death. Remembering that day just served to make her angry at Ash all over again. _Grr_, she thought. _Yet another occasion in which Ash rushed into something without thinking_.

Brock released his Zubat and told it to try to locate Red. The sightless bat flew off. Ten minutes later, Zubat returned, emitting a series of high-pitched squeaks. It then fluttered off along one of the mountain trails nearby. Pikachu, who had been listening to the giant bat's cries, ran along the same trail after the Zubat.

"I guess Zubat found something," Brock commented, as they all followed.

For nearly three hours, they made their way along the trail, with Pikachu and Zubat leading the way. The morning sun gradually rose high and shone brightly in the sky, seeming to reflect everywhere off the dazzling mountains around them. Eventually, the trail made its way over a large outcrop of rocks. 

"Look out!" Brock yelled.

It was too late. As Zubat flew over the crest of the pile of boulders, a bolt of lightning suddenly came out of the ground from behind the outcrop. The poor bat had no chance to react. Struck by the powerful electricity, Zubat gave out a shrill cry before dropping to the ground, unconscious.

Brock cried out in alarm, then rushed up to Zubat with pokéball; in hand. "Zubat, return!" he called. He couldn't tell if Zubat was badly injured, but in any case it would be better off in its pokéball.;

The others scrambled up the pile of rock to see where the lightning bolt had come from. They all stared.

The boy in front of them looked just like Ash. He had the same clothes, same face, even a similar looking Pikachu, no doubt the source of the electric blast that downed Zubat. Except for the large "R" on the boy's cap, he might as well have been a mirror reflection of Ash himself. Behind the boy was a weary-looking Meowth, caught in a tight metal leash around his neck. Meowth was about to say something to Jecy and Jaymz, but a sharp jerk of the leash by the boy induced him to keep silent.

"Hey, you!" Misty shouted out. "What's the big idea of using a Thunderbolt on my friend's Zubat?"

The boy looked back at them with no hint of apology. "I think you were using your Zubat to spy on me," he replied calmly. "I don't like that."

_Even his voice is like Ash's_, Misty thought. She nearly faltered, but managed to keep up the ire in her voice. "Well, we weren't spying, and that's no reason to go overboard like that anyway," Misty retorted. "And _that_," she added, pointing at the weary Meowth, "is my other friends' Pokémon;! Who do you think you are stealing it from them?"

The boy blinked. "Didn't they tell you?" he said simply. "I'm Red of Team Rocket. And if you know what's good for you, you'll mind your own business." He turned away to leave.

Misty was furious at Red's dismissive attitude. "Poliwhirl, go!" she shouted, throwing out her pokéball.;

"Poliwhirl!" said the giant tadpole Pokémon;, as it materialized in front of Misty.

"Thunderbolt!" called out Red, not even bothering to turn around. The Pikachu next to him whipped around suddenly, unleashing an enormous electric attack with amazing speed. Poliwhirl fell to the ground, smoking, singed, and unconscious before Misty had even a chance to issue her first command. Stunned into silence at the skill of her opponent, she recalled her Pokémon; quickly to its pokéball.;

Ash rushed forward. He still could scarcely believe that there was a nearly exact duplicate of him out there, but he knew that his counterpart had to be stopped before any more of his friends' Pokémon; got hurt. "Wait a minute!" he yelled out to Red.

Red turned around, noticing Ash for the first time. His eyes opened wide in surprise for an instant.

"Red," Ash announced, "I challenge you to a Pokémon; battle for the possession of Meowth."

Jecy gasped involuntarily. Was Ash really going to battle against Red?

Red thought for a moment, then pulled a small device out of his pocket. It was red and had numerous buttons and a screen. _A pokédex;_, Ash thought. Red pushed a few buttons and pointed his pokédex; at Ash. The machine began reciting in its mechanical voice: "_Trainer: Ash Ketchum._" Red raised an eyebrow at hearing Ash's name, but continued listening. "_Currently competing in the Johto League. Pokémon;, in order of acquisition: Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Shiny Noctowl._" Red listened to the list of Ash's Pokémon; with little interest until the last one was read. He closed his pokédex; with a smile. Ash was shocked. _How does his pokédex; know all that?_ he wondered.

"You may notice that my pokédex; has a few additional features," Red commented, noting Ash's look of surprise. "I was able to access your pokédex; and download your personal information. Well, Ash Ketchum, I accept your challenge, on one condition. If I win, not only do I keep the Meowth, but I also get your Shiny Noctowl. That sounds like a unique Pokémon; worthy of a battle."

"Don't do it," whispered Misty, hugging Togepi protectively. "What if you lose to him?"

"Don't worry," replied Ash confidently. "I can beat him."

Brock was unconvinced. He warned, "I'm not so sure, Ash. After all, he _is_ you. How can you be sure of beating yourself?"

"Yes," Misty agreed. "For once, please think about what you are doing!"

"I can do it," said Ash stubbornly. "I will do it, for Meowth's sake." He turned back to Red. "I accept your terms," he declared. 

Red smiled. "Very well. I propose a three-on-three match, with recalls allowed." 

Ash nodded, then climbed down the rocky outcrop to the same level as Red. He found himself on a relatively wide area of level ground. To his right, the mountain trail continued as it ran higher up the mountain. On his left side, the flat rocky surface ended in a sheer cliff drop, completely unprotected by any guard railings. Ash couldn't see the bottom of the drop, and he tried hard not to think about how far down the cliff face went.

Red pulled out a pokéball; and threw it, hard. "I choose you," he shouted, " ... Charizard!"

Ash gasped as a huge fire-breathing dragon, eager for battle, appeared in front of him in a blaze of light. He wondered if this was how his opponents had felt back in the days when he had a Charizard himself. "I wish I still had my Charizard," he said lamely, mostly to himself.

Red practically choked. "You gave up a Charizard?" he asked. "What happened, did you abandon it because it was sick? Crippled?"

Ash thought about his journey through the Charicific Valley. He had been there only a couple of months before, but it seemed so long ago now. "No, none of those things. I set it free so that it could be with its own kind and grow stronger."

Red shook his head. "You're not going to be so hard to beat if you're the kind of trainer who gives up a perfectly good Pokémon; for its own little benefit. I'll show you how a real trainer operates. Go ahead, pick your Pokémon.;"

Ash turned to Pikachu. "I'm counting on you for this, buddy."

Pikachu glanced at the huge Charizard in panic for an instant, then faced Ash. "Pi - KA?" the little rodent asked incredulously.

"I know it's a tough opponent, but nobody else on the team can handle it better than you can," Ash reassured him. "Besides, you've got the type advantage."

Pikachu nodded, then went out timidly to face the fire Pokémon.;

Red called out the first attack. "Charizard, Flamethrower!"

Ash didn't waste any time. "Pikachu, Agility!" he called.

The term was actually a misnomer, a leftover from the days when Pokémon; scientists thought that the ability was a rapid physical motion instead of a psychic translocation. Pikachu vanished from the spot where he was sitting, and reappeared instantly a few yards away. And not a moment too soon, for a raging inferno blasted out of the Charizard's mouth and on to the spot where Pikachu had been just a moment before. The rocks in the path of the torrent of flame glowed red-hot as they melted under the dragon's fiery power.

Pikachu dodged the fiery attacks again and again. The flame at the tip of the Charizard's tail grew a whitish blue color as the giant lizard became enraged at its tiny yellow opponent. The fire-type Pokémon; lashed out with its flames ever faster and with greater abandon, trying with all its might to incinerate the little yellow mouse. Ash's mind was racing. They were at an impasse, and he wasn't sure whether Pikachu or Charizard would tire first. He had to figure out a way to get Pikachu out of this.

One of the fire blasts finally caught Pikachu on the tail, and the electric rodent rolled his body over the rocky ground to put the flames out. Tail singed, he leapt up suddenly and released an enormous electric attack. The Charizard was expecting this, however, and launched like a rocket into the air at the last second. The crackling electricity drained away, its power spent uselessly on the rocks where the Charizard had been standing.

Ash knew he was in trouble. Pikachu looked exhausted, and smarting from the burn on his tail. He saw the Charizard circling high in the air above them. _If I were the one with the Charizard_, Ash thought, _I'd have it do a Seismic Toss now_. He blinked suddenly, realizing the implications of his own thought. _Red **is** me_, thought Ash, _or at least some version of me. He'll probably try to do what I would do in his place_.

Ash looked quickly at Red. Red was scanning the skies, no doubt waiting for the right instant to order his Charizard's next attack. Ash watched his opponent's face carefully. If he missed this chance, Pikachu would lose for sure.

Red finally found the right moment, and shouted out, "Charizard, Seismic Toss!" Ash, who had not taken his eye off Red, immediately commanded, "Pikachu, Agility, now!"

As the fire-breathing dragon swooped down with amazing speed, Pikachu gathered up his energy for one last translocation. Ash had predicted Red's move correctly, and had managed to give his own command a half second sooner because he was watching Red's face instead of the battle. Even so, it was just barely enough. Pikachu felt the warmth of the Charizard's great claws as it grasped at him right before he translocated away.

Pikachu reappeared on top of a rock and tumbled over it. The Charizard, having unexpectedly missed its target, flapped its wings furiously as it tried to correct its trajectory to account for the missing weight.

The momentary distraction was all that Ash needed. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

The electric mouse charged up his whole body almost to bursting. "Pi - KA - CHUUUUUUU!!!" The air split apart as the lightning bolt arced into the sky, striking the giant fiery-orange lizard full force. The Charizard convulsed in mid-flight as the searing electricity coursed through its body.

"Look out!" called Red, but it was too late. The electric shock had disoriented the giant dragon to the point where it did not realize it was heading straight towards the outcrop behind Ash. The Charizard plowed head first into the rocky ground, raising a large cloud of pebbles and dust. Everyone was blinded for a moment. Finally, the dust cleared, revealing the defeated Charizard, unconscious and still.

Red seemed unconcerned about his loss as he recalled his Charizard to its pokéball.; "Good battling, Ash Ketchum. Let's see how you do against my next Pokémon.;" He tossed out a second pokéball.; "I choose you ... Espeon!"

The pokéball; opened in a flash of light. Before Ash was a medium-sized, light blue quadruped with fine hairs over its body. It looked somewhat like a large cat, but with a two-pronged tail and a violet, gemlike protrusion on its head.

"What's that?" wondered Ash, and brought out Dexter to find out.

"_Espeon,_" recited the pokédex.; "_The psychic evolution of Eevee. It uses the fine hairs that cover its body to sense air currents and predict its enemy's actions._"

Red began to laugh. "You're battling it and you don't even know what it is?" he derided.

Ash ignored Red as he planned his next move. Seeing his exhausted Pikachu, he said, "Okay, buddy, I'm recalling you for now. Take it easy." The little yellow Pokémon; was only too glad to take a rest alongside his master and friend.

Ash pulled out a pokéball.; "You're at stake, so you should have a part in deciding this," he declared. "I choose you ... Noctowl!"

In a blinding flash, the giant owl materialized, hovering in the air in front of the Espeon.

"Noctowl, Hypnosis!" called out Ash.

Noctowl stared into the Espeon's eyes and emitted its red hypnotic beam. The Espeon was caught in the hypnotic trance for just an instant, but then shook its head clear.

Red laughed derisively some more. "You won't be able to get a psychic-type Pokémon; very easily with a psychic attack. Espeon, use your Psychic attack!"

Noctowl was suddenly enveloped in a strange blue glow that held it in place. Squawking furiously, it flapped its wings in a futile effort to break free. Suddenly, the large owl was hurled backwards, slamming into a rock under the Espeon's telekinetic force. Noctowl was momentarily dazed, but got up and started flying again.

Ash turned back to his pokédex; and tried to whisper into the voice input without Misty hearing. "Dexter," he said quietly, "list Noctowl's attacks."

Red's Pikachu began howling in laughter as Brock slumped in resignation to the ground and Misty yelled out furiously, "Are you trying to tell me that you NEVER found out what your own Noctowl's attacks are?!"

Ash took just a moment to defend himself against Misty's ire as the handheld device began accessing its memory files. "I just never got around to it yet, okay?" he pleaded lamely. He looked back at the battle. Noctowl was desperately dodging the Espeon's Psybeam attack. Dexter seemed to be taking forever to display the information.

"_Noctowl's attacks,_" recited the pokédex;, with infuriating slowness. "_Tackle, Growl, Foresight, Peck..._"

"Okay, use Peck!" Ash shouted out.

Noctowl dived down instantly, knocking the Espeon hard on the head with its beak. The psychic Pokémon; went reeling, its Psybeam missing completely.

"_...Hypnosis, Reflect, Take Down..._"

Ash commanded, "Now do a Take Down!"

Noctowl swooped down, ramming the Espeon with its own body full force. Ash smiled as he saw the psychic Pokémon; at the verge of collapse.

But Red seemed unconcerned. Grinning, he called out calmly, "Espeon, Morning Sun."

The Espeon glowed for a moment in the bright mountain sunshine, as the air around it darkened slightly. To Ash, it looked as if the psychic cat were absorbing all the sunlight in its vicinity. After a moment, the Espeon straightened up, fully refreshed and ready to battle. Ash gasped.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Red asked as he gloated before his opponent. "Espeons can use the sun's power to restore themselves when injured. I've found it works even better up here in the mountains, where there is less atmosphere to block the sun's rays." Red's grin disappeared as he once more focused on the battle. "Espeon, Psychic attack!" he ordered.

Once again, Noctowl was caught in the psychic creature's telekinetic grasp. The large bird struggled to break loose, but to no avail. The Espeon hurled the giant owl against another rock, and this time Noctowl lay still.

Red laughed loudly as Ash recalled Noctowl to its pokéball.; "Do you know why you'll never beat me, Ash Ketchum?" Red asked tauntingly. "It's because you are what I used to be.

"It's true," he insisted, as Ash glared at him. "You see, I used to be like you. Naïve;, thoughtless, impulsive ... a stupid league trainer. It wasn't until I found my true calling in Team Rocket that I became what you see now. It was there that I learned to plan ahead, and to think things through. Look at you! You rushed into this battle, without knowing what Pokémon; I had, or what they were, or apparently even what attacks your own Pokémon; have. You will never beat me, Ash Ketchum, because I am everything that you are - I encompass everything that you are - plus I have the benefit of thoughtfulness. And that makes me a better Pokémon; trainer."

Misty was already infuriated at Red's arrogance, and this disparagement of Ash in the middle of a battle was the last straw. "No it DOES NOT!!" she retorted defiantly. "Ash may be a bit impulsive, but at least he cares for his Pokémon;, which is more than can be said for YOU! You're nothing more than an arrogant, conceited bully, even to your own Pokémon;, and Ash is more than a match for a dozen of you!" Fueled by her anger, Misty's words came out of her mouth even before she considered what it was she was saying. But as she finished, she realized that everything she had said about Ash was true. His closeness to his Pokémon;, his love for them, that was what made him an impressive trainer. And it was the reason she had stayed by him for these last couple of years.

Unimpressed by the girl's words, Red turned his attention back to Ash. "All right, Ketchum. Let's see what Pokémon; you use now," he challenged.

Ash pulled out a pokéball; slowly. It was his third and last choice for a Pokémon; in this battle, and he hoped it was the right one. "I choose you," he called, throwing out the ball, " ... Bulbasaur!"

The tiny plant dinosaur popped out. "Bulbasaur!" it called out.

"A Bulbasaur? Let me guess," Red teased, "it didn't feel like evolving so you didn't force it to." Ash thought for a moment about his encounter long ago with the Venusaur's mysterious garden, but decided to keep silent.

Red shrugged, then called out, "Espeon, Psychic attack."

Bulbasaur waved its short legs around wildly as the Espeon's telekinetic power held it in place in the air.

"Hurl it off the mountain," Red ordered carelessly. The psychic Pokémon; complied. Bulbasaur screamed as its body flew over the edge of the unprotected cliff on Ash's left side.

Ash yelled out and ran up to the cliff's edge. Was there any chance his Pokémon; had survived? Almost afraid to look, he peered over the edge.

There, about fifty feet below, Bulbasaur was suspended in the air, hanging by one of its vines from a rock formation that jutted out from the sheer cliff face. The little green Pokémon; was pulling itself back up the mountain slowly. Ash wanted to leap for joy.

The Espeon ran to the cliff edge as well. Its eyes glowed blue as it prepared for another psychic attack.

"Razor Leaf, now!" called Ash.

Dozens of tiny green blades sliced through the air, headed straight for the Espeon's body. The psychic Pokémon; yelled out, clawing at the air madly in an attempt to brush off the leafy attack. Bulbasaur took advantage of the distraction to pull itself back up to the top.

Red snarled. "Hurl it off again, Espeon, and this time make sure the cliff is out of its reach."

As Espeon's eyes glowed blue once more, Ash called out in desperation, "Bulbasaur, Solar Beam!"

"Is Ash crazy?" whispered Jecy. "Solar Beam takes too long."

Beads of sunlight accumulated into the grass-type Pokémon;'s bulb as it powered up. Amazingly, it rose to full power almost instantly, and it let forth its solar attack with the force of a dozen cannons. Ash covered his face, blinded by the brilliance of the powerful light beam. Blasted by the powerful ray, the Espeon flew back and crashed on the hard rocky surface, where it lay still.

As Red stood open mouthed in surprise, Ash turned to his friends with a smile. "Red was right," he said triumphantly. "The thin mountain air makes solar attacks work better. I figured that Bulbasaur could power up his Solar Beam in less time than usual."

Red fumed briefly while recalling the Espeon to its pokéball.; When he regained his composure, he turned to the Pikachu next to him. "I choose this one now," he declared simply.

Red's Pikachu ran out to face Ash's Bulbasaur.

Ash smiled to himself. He had Red against the ropes now. It was Red's last Pokémon;, and Ash had the type advantage. "Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf!" he shouted.

Bulbasaur's leaves once more shot out, rushing towards Red's Pikachu like tiny green arrows.

"Thunderbolt!" Red called. The Pikachu charged up for the briefest instant, then fired a salvo of electric charges. Its aim was perfect. Each and every leaf was shattered by a lightning attack. Ash was amazed at the skill of his opponent's Pokémon.; He wasn't even sure if his own Pikachu could do that.

Red snickered at the look of astonishment on Ash's face. Then, with a stern look, he commanded, "Pikachu, Thunderwave!"

Electricity flashed out and covered Bulbasaur from head to tail. The little plant Pokémon; stiffened up completely, paralyzed from the electric attack. Even its vines were frozen in place.

"Thundershock!" Red yelled.

"No, wait!" Ash called. He was going to surrender to avoid having Bulbasaur shocked, but it was too late. Bulbasaur collapsed on the ground, singed and unconscious.

"Bulbasaur, return!" called Ash, holding out a pokéball.; The grass Pokémon; was recalled inside.

Ash considered his position. He and Red had already chosen all of their three Pokémon; each, and each had used two of them up. The only remaining Pokémon; for the battle were Red's Pikachu and his own. It would be the Pikachus who would determine the winner of this battle.

He turned to his bruised Pikachu, who was busy licking his still painful tail. "Hey buddy, it's your turn again," he said softly.

Pikachu sat up sharply and said, "Pi - ka - pi!" as if he were ready, although he didn't look it. He went out to face his counterpart.

Jaymz whispered to Brock, "Red's Pikachu looks like the strongest Pokémon; I've ever seen. Do you think Ash has a chance?"

Brock replied simply, "We're about to find out."


	5. Chapter 5

The Mirror-World Menace 

CHAPTER 5

The air crackled and sizzled as tremendous bolts of lightning flew back and forth between the two electric Pokémon.;

They were each somewhat resistant to their own type of attacks, and they continued to blast away, neither of them doing tremendous harm to the other. Stray arcs of electricity sprayed out in all directions, filling the air with ozone and shattering rocks in their immediate vicinity.

"Keep it up!" Ash encouraged, although he was losing confidence himself. His own Pikachu was weak to begin with from the earlier fight with the Charizard, and he could tell that Red's Pikachu clearly had the upper hand.

Before long, Ash's Pikachu was on the verge of collapse. His thunderbolt attack was weakening, and Red's Pikachu was pressing its advantage, pummeling its opponent with ever more powerful electric jolts. So intent was Red on his impending victory that he failed to notice the giant shadow looming above him until it was nearly too late.

"What's that?" cried Jaymz, and everybody looked up.

Reaching almost fifty feet in the air above them was a truly enormous metal serpent. Its steel scales gleamed in the sunshine as its metallic eyes glared at them. Ash pulled out Dexter. "_Steelix,_" the pokédex; declared, "_the Iron Snake Pokémon.; The steel-type evolution of Onix._"

The Steelix looked at Ash and Red in turn. Sniffing the air, it suddenly let out a huge roar and came barreling down right on top of Red. The Team Rocket agent barely had time to dodge out of the way before the monstrous serpent slammed into the rocky ground where he had been standing. The enormous impact knocked everyone off their feet. Ash felt as if the whole mountain had been rocked.

Weakened by the impact, the cliff edge started to break apart, bits of it falling everywhere. Red's Pikachu, who was the closest to the edge when the Steelix appeared, gave out a sharp squeal of surprise as the earth beneath it suddenly broke away and began falling down the cliff face. The Pikachu scrambled up the toppling rocks, trying to find a secure footing. Just as it had nearly reached stable ground, it finally slipped and fell headlong off the cliff's edge.

Ash's Pikachu gathered up his last bit of strength and bounded across the shaking terrain in an effort to save the other Pikachu. He leapt forward and grabbed his counterpart's tail with his front paws, while finding a foothold around a rock with his rear paws. The ground all the way up to the rock where Pikachu was clinging crumbled away and fell down the cliff, leaving the two Pikachus dangling precariously off the cliff's edge. Hanging face downwards, they were presented with a terrifying view of the great expanse below them, while the enormous boulders that had broken off the edge seemed to shrink into tiny specks as they plummeted to the depths below.

Meanwhile, the Steelix started twisting its body furiously in the rocky ground. Sand, pebbles, and bits of ground-up rock began flying everywhere.

"Take cover!" Brock yelled, as everyone shut their eyes to keep out the stinging sand. "It's a Sandstorm attack!"

The strain that the Steelix was putting on the earth was too much for it. The mountain terrain above them started cracking, and large rocks and boulders began rolling down the mountainside towards the area where Brock, Misty, Jecy, and Jaymz were standing.

"Go, Onix!" yelled Brock, throwing out a pokéball.; The rock serpent materialized and immediately lay on the ground in front of them, trying to use its body as a barrier to block the onrushing avalanche. As the first boulders came upon it, Onix pushed back against them with all its might, straining to keep the crumbling mountaintop from falling onto its master and his friends.

Pikachu's grip on the rock between his rear paws was weakening. He couldn't support the weight of both himself and the other Pikachu, to whom he still was holding onto tightly with his front paws. He could feel himself slipping off the rock, slowly but inexorably. Just as he was about to lose his grip entirely, something grabbed him by the tail and started pulling him back from the cliff edge. Pikachu turned around. It was Ash. "Pikapi!" Pikachu shouted in relief.

"Don't worry, I've got you buddy," Ash reassured, a hand over his eyes to keep out the blinding sand. He started to pull the Pikachus to safety with his left hand, then stumbled himself as the ground beneath his feet began crumbling away. Ash and the two Pikachus started to fall over the edge, and Ash gasped as he scrambled to grab hold of a stable rock in the cliff face with his right hand. The three of them ended up dangling from the cliff edge again, and Ash tried not to look at how far there was to fall as he held firmly on to Pikachu's tail.

Red found himself facing the Steelix alone and decided to take the offensive. Launching out two pokéballs; with lightning speed, he called out, "I choose you, Blastoise and Venusaur! Stop that Steelix!" The two confident-looking Pokémon; stepped out to confront their steel enemy. The Venusaur shot out a dozen razor-sharp leaves, each over a foot long, which flew towards their steel goal with deadly accuracy. The knife-edged projectiles were no match for the Steelix's diamond-hard skin, however, and they shattered upon impact with no apparent damage to their target. 

In the meantime, Brock watched nervously as his Onix was weakening. "Keep pushing!" he encouraged, but he could tell it was hopeless. Onix was holding up several times its own weight in rocks that had fallen from the avalanche, and there was no way it could hold on for much longer. The rock serpent finally slid down the mountainside, crushed under the weight of the boulders it had been trying valiantly to keep in place. Brock, Misty, Jaymz, and Jecy started to run for it, but there was no way they were going to get away from the onrush of rocks.

Psyduck took this moment to pop out of its pokéball;, and it looked at Misty with its usual blank look. "Psyduck!" Misty yelled. "Use your Confusion to propel the avalanche away!" She wasn't very hopeful, but it looked like the best chance they had.

"Psy?" quacked the duck in uncomprehending bewilderment. Misty sighed in frustration; it was no use.

So intent were they on the incoming rocks that no one noticed the little Togepi still in Misty's arms. Merrily, it waved its tiny paws back and forth. Back and forth, back and forth, Togepi's arms started to glow as its secret power was unleashed.

They screamed as the first boulder came right on top of them. Misty hid her face as the giant rock's shadow covered them completely.

Misty waited, but eventually realized that too much time had passed and that the boulder should have crushed them already. She looked up timidly, and gasped in surprise to see the entire avalanche of boulders hurled up high into the sky and away from them. She turned to Psyduck. "Did you do it?" she asked, not really sure. Psyduck quacked mildly, completely ignorant of what had just happened. Togepi merely giggled to itself.

Brock recalled his exhausted Onix, then looked around. "Where's Ash?" he inquired.

"Oh no!" Misty gasped, pointing. "He's hanging from the cliff edge!"

Ash was in trouble. He could feel that the rock that he hung to desperately, his only point of support, was starting to break away from the cliff face. Almost in a panic, he looked around once again for some kind of a foothold but found none. And he couldn't grab onto something else or any of his pokéballs; without letting go of the Pikachus.

Jaymz didn't waste a second. "Go, Bellsprout!" he shouted out while releasing a pokéball.; The Pokémon; materialized at the cliff's edge. Bellsprout extended its vines and wrapped one tightly around Ash's wrist. Just at that moment, the rock Ash was holding onto broke away, and he and the Pikachus were left dangling from Bellsprout's vine as the rock fell, disappearing into the distance.

Bellsprout pulled, strained, and planted its roots into the ground as firmly as it could. The weight of a boy and two Pikachus was more than it could hold, and the tiny plant was beginning to be dragged off the edge.

"Come on, Bellsprout!" yelled Jaymz to his Pokémon.; "I know you can do it! I have faith in you!"

Jecy threw out a ball of her own, and her Lickitung appeared. The pink creature started over to help Bellsprout, but stopped in its tracks as the plant Pokémon; started glowing.

"Bellsprout!" it called, as its body shone brilliantly and started to change shape. "Bellsprout ... bell ... bell ... Weepinbell!"

Jaymz gasped. "My Bellsprout...it evolved!" he cried.

The now evolved Weepinbell was much heavier and stronger than it had been as Bellsprout, and it easily pulled Ash and the Pikachus back up towards safety.

Just as Ash's Pikachu was being pulled to the top of the cliff, he lost his grip on his counterpart's tail. Red's Pikachu screamed as it began tumbling down the cliff face. Out of nowhere a long, sticky, pink tongue shot out and grabbed the falling yellow Pokémon.; Like a bug stuck on flypaper, Red's Pikachu dangled from Lickitung's giant tongue as it was pulled back to the cliff top. Lickitung deposited the Pikachu, now slimy with sticky saliva, on the ground in front of it. 

Red's Pokémon; were meanwhile locked into battle with the Steelix. The Blastoise shot a powerful surge of water from its twin mounted cannons. The place where the water touched the giant metal serpent's body appeared to stiffen up, as if rusted in that area. The Steelix roared in rage as some of the huge metal ribs that made up its serpentine body would no longer move freely. Now all the angrier, it rammed its body forcefully on the Blastoise's back, smashing into the giant turtle's shell and knocking it out in one blow. Before Red's Venusaur could even react, the Steelix picked up a boulder the size of a house and dashed it onto the hapless plant Pokémon;'s head. The Venusaur rolled over and lay still.

Now defenseless, Red could only shake in fear as the enraged Steelix reached down and used its mouth to grab the boy by the back of his shirt. "Why does it want me?!" he stammered, flailing his arms and legs helplessly.

Meowth, who had been standing on the side listening, finally spoke out. "The Steelix is saying something about finding its baby ... why, the baby Onix is its baby!"

Brock nodded. "That makes sense," he declared. "Jaymz told us that Red had a baby Onix, and according to Dexter, Steelix is the evolution of Onix. So the Steelix is probably the Onix's mother." He turned to Red and called out, "Give up your Onix, and the Steelix will leave you alone!"

Red growled in frustration, and then opened the pokéball; containing his captured baby Onix.

The Steelix dropped Red to the ground and wrapped its snake-like body around its baby in a loving embrace. The giant metal serpent turned around briefly to crush the pokéball; in which the baby Onix had been contained, leaving behind a pile of plastic splinters. It then picked up its baby by the scruff of the neck and made its way peacefully down the mountainside.

"Good riddance," Red muttered under his breath, as if to console himself over his lost capture. He turned back to Ash. "Well, Ketchum, it looks like we have a Pokémon; battle to finish."

Ash's Pikachu was quite sore from his ordeal at the cliff edge, but he picked himself up and painfully got into position. Red's Pikachu, however, refused to move. It sat defiantly facing away from Red as he hollered at it, "You worthless yellow rodent! Come over here and fight this instant!"

"Pikapikapichu," the Pikachu retorted in a huff. 

Meowth translated, "Your Pikachu is saying that it refuses to battle someone who just saved its life."

"WHAT!?" Red practically screamed, now completely enraged. "GET OVER HERE NOW!" But the yellow electric Pokémon; wouldn't budge.

"If Red's Pikachu refuses to battle, then Ash is the winner," declared Misty.

"That's right," agreed Ash. "Now give us Meowth."

"Never!" shouted Red, grabbing Meowth's leash and pulling on it until the hapless feline was nearly choked to death. "I don't care who won this battle, I'm keeping the Meowth. I have plenty of other Pokémon; I can use to deal with you if you try to stop me."

"No, you don't," disputed Jaymz.

Jecy agreed. "Your Charizard, Espeon, Venusaur, Blastoise, and Onix are all unconscious or gone," she said. "That makes five. Your Pikachu makes six, and it won't battle. Since you can't carry more than six Pokémon;, you are effectively out of ammunition."

Red, caught in his bluff, fumed for a moment, then let the leash go. Meowth ran off, crying with relief as he went to Jecy and Jaymz. "You guys came back for me!" he sobbed, a look of immense gratitude in his oversized cat eyes.

"Don't thank us," Jaymz replied, smiling. "Thank Ash."

Jecy picked up the cat Pokémon; and gave him a warm hug. "Glad to see you back, Meowth," she said, grinning. "We missed you."

"Hold it right there!" a female voice called sharply behind them. Everyone turned around to look.

It was Officer Jenny, flanked by four large and mean-looking Golems. "Red of Team Rocket, this is the police. You are under arrest."

Red turned to his Pikachu, but Jenny cut him off. "Don't bother, buster. I heard what the girl said about your only having the one Pokémon;, and since ground-type Pokémon; are immune to electric attacks, even a Pikachu as powerful as yours wouldn't stand a chance against four Golems."

"NO!" Red shouted in defiance. "I'm Red of Team Rocket, the greatest Pokémon; trainer who ever lived! I've never been caught by the police, and I will not be caught now!" Now in a madman's frenzy, he picked up his Pikachu roughly and shook it, screaming, "Do you hear me, Pikachu? I'm Red of Team Rocket, and I cannot be defeated! Now go out there and fight those Golems, you coward!"

The Pikachu had a look of utter surprise when Red picked it up so violently, a look that quickly turned into an appearance of enraged fury. "Pikapikapika!" it shouted back.

"It says it doesn't like being called a coward," Meowth remarked.

But the electric Pokémon; decided to assert its opinion of Red's harsh treatment in a way that needed no translation -- by unleashing a tremendous electric assault against its own master. Sparks flew everywhere, and Red's cap was thrown off as every strand of hair on his head stood straight on end. The Team Rocket agent screamed as the powerful electric current passed through and around his body. So severe was the electric attack that even Ash, who had been shocked by his own Pikachu countless times, cringed a little at witnessing it.

Red's Pikachu finally exhausted its charge, and, jumping to the ground, it watched quietly as its master fell over. The Team Rocket agent was thoroughly singed all over, and bits of smoke were still escaping out of one of his jacket pockets. The electricity had locked his muscles into position, and he lay stiffly on the ground, arms awkwardly extended as if he were still holding the Pikachu. He was still alive but utterly defeated, he knew it, and he remained silent as Jenny walked up to him with the handcuffs.

"Officer Jenny!" exclaimed Jaymz. "However did you find us?"

Officer Jenny turned to Jaymz and smiled. "I've been tracking down Red ever since you reported your Meowth stolen. I've been waiting for an occasion where he was vulnerable enough that I could make the arrest. Having five of his six Pokémon; eliminated seemed to qualify."

Brock meanwhile had entered his usual entranced state at the sight of Officer Jenny. Dreamily, he murmured, "Oooh, the Officer Jennies in this universe are even more beautiful than the ones in our universe." He started to go to her.

Misty sighed and reached over, placing her fingers on the one particular spot of Brock's ear that was guaranteed to cause significant pain when she squeezed. Over the years, she had had numerous opportunities to optimize her exact finger placement. Brock waved his arms wildly, making a last unsuccessful effort to catch Officer Jenny's attention as he was dragged away.

Officer Jenny completely failed to notice Brock as she was occupied handcuffing Red's wrists - a relatively simple task, as Red was paralyzed and couldn't resist. "You know, there's a large reward out for aid leading to Red's capture," Jenny declared, turning to Ash. "Are you the one who should be collecting it?"

"Uh, well," Ash replied, laughing and trying to sound modest, "actually it's Jecy and Jaymz who should be getting the reward."

Jecy started to protest, but Misty stopped her. "It's okay," Misty whispered. "Ash is a league trainer and he doesn't need the money. But you two can use the reward money to go to Pokémon; Tech, the way you planned from the start."

Officer Jenny turned to the two young trainers. "So the reward goes to you?" she asked.

Jaymz and Jecy looked at each other briefly, forming an unspoken consensus between them. Then Jecy replied, "We'd like to donate the reward money to the Pokémon; breeding center."

Jaymz agreed. "So they can restock their supply of starter Pokémon;," he added.

Misty was puzzled, but Jecy reassured her. "We've decided after watching you three and gaining confidence in our own abilities as trainers that we really like the Pokémon; trainer's life," Jecy told her. "We're not interested in going to Pokémon; Tech anymore."

One of the Golems picked up the motionless Red and slung him over its shoulder like a sack. Ash and the others waved goodbye to Officer Jenny as she and the Golems took Red away to the police station. Then they made their way back to the inter-dimensional rift.

"Where will you go now?" Jecy inquired.

"To the next gym in the Johto league," Ash replied. "How about you?"

"Probably to Pewter City in our universe," Jaymz answered. "We heard that there's a really tough gym leader there who uses rock-type Pokémon.;"

"Or maybe Cerulean City," Jecy added. "The gym leader there supposedly uses water-type Pokémon.;"

Brock and Misty looked at each other for a moment, and then they both smiled. "I'm sure you'll do really well against them," Brock said.

Ash, Misty, Brock, Togepi, and Pikachu stood on their side of the rift and waved farewell to Jecy, Jaymz, and Meowth on the other. And as they waved, the rift itself started to close, as if on cue with their goodbyes. Ash caught a final glimpse of the smiling faces of their new friends as the rift sealed up completely, vanishing without a trace.

*

_The celestial Pokémon; rejoiced. Its faith in the providence between worlds had been justified. After carefully checking to make sure that each of the inhabitants of both universes were in their proper locations, the Pokémon; closed the rift between them, and made its way to parts of the cosmos unknown._

EPILOGUE

It was a week later, but Ash had been in this situation before.

There he stood, dripping wet and holding on to Misty's Goldeen. Before him, Misty and Brock were staring at him looks of resignation. It reminded Ash of the way his mom used to look at him when he was a young child and had done something really foolish.

Ash closed his eyes and prepared himself for another tongue lashing from Misty. It did not matter that he **really** thought that the floating tree trunk looked like a Kingdra. She was sure to let him have it for once again diving into a strong current and once again needing to be saved.

"I know," he admitted painfully, "I should think about things instead of rushing into them."

"That's right!" Misty started, and then suddenly stopped, the anger mysteriously draining out of her. She smiled, and said in a more serene voice, "But I guess there's worse things you could be than too impulsive, Ash. Goldeen, return!"

As the aquatic Pokémon; dematerialized into its pokéball; and Misty walked away calmly, Ash stood, open-mouthed as water dripped from his hair. He shook his head in frustration. Sometimes he just couldn't figure Misty out.

THE END


End file.
